What you need to know about Pattaya

Pattaya is a city on Thailand’s eastern Gulf, 147 kilometers southeast of Bangkok and known for its beaches and nightlife. The city was built around Ao Pattaya, a wide, crescent-shaped bay that was one of Thailand’s first beach resorts in the 1960s when American GIs came for some R&R. North Pattaya (Pattaya Neua) is a more upmarket area while Pattaya South (Pattaya Tai) remains the nightlife hub. The best beaches in the area are on Koh Samae San, a tiny island with good snorkelling, and the navy-run Hat Nahng Ram, both 35km south of Pattaya.